Scott McEwen is a renowned San Diego and California trial attorney who apart from mastering the legal prowess doubles up as a fictional thriller writer. The author is the proud man behind the popular New York best seller American Sniper novel which he co-authored with Chris Kyle in 2012. It was his first book yet it swept high literary acclaims and stayed on the New York Bestseller list for a total of 37 weeks and was later adapted into a film.

After the success of this, his debut novel, Scott McEwen has gone further to write a total of four more sniper novels that borrow heavily from his father’s military history and his background at Heppner. His other books are Eyes on Target, Target America, The Sniper and the Wolf, and Sniper Elite: One Way Trip.

Early life and schooling

The 1961 born author grew up in Heppner, in the mountain regions of Eastern Oregon where he was an Eagle scout. He engaged in boisterous carefree activities such as hiking, fishing and hunting whenever such an opportunity arose.
Scott McEwen pursued his undergraduate degree course in Oregon and once he graduated from college, he started working in London, England. Before becoming a full-fledged trial attorney, Scott taught at Thomas Jefferson School of Law , a job which must have honed his communication skills.

Other than his daily jobs, Scott is a philanthropist who works with numerous military organizations such as Seal Team Foundation, Red Circle Foundation, Camp Patriot and EOD wounded warrior Foundation. His vast experience working with these military groups explain his military writing inclination.

Writing career

A much celebrated author , Scott McEwen kick-started his career in 2012 when he met Chris Kyle. Chris, who tragically passed in 2013 was a US army sniper who Scott befriended. The two bond so well in their childhood and life stories that they finally agreed to write about Chris Kyle’s military life and thus American Sniper was authored.

Work’s done and reader reviews

American Sniper has been praised as a memoir that is both stunning and awe-inspiring. Readers have said that it is not only eloquent but also elaborate full of action inspiring patriotism. Chris Kyle has been highly acclaimed as a sniper of great reputation.

Sniper Elite has been described as a gripping adventure that gives the reader a clear insight of what happens in the military life.

Eyes on Target is a must read book for all those who want to get the picture of how corruption can be devastating at the SEALS, says a reader.

The action-packed thriller that is The Sniper and the Wolf will keep your eyes glued to your book till you read the final page is how this book has been reviewed.

Synopsis of earlier works

1. American Sniper

In American Sniper, Scott McEwen writes a compelling autobiography of one of the most feared and lethal US military history sniper in U.S. Military History. The author fetched inspiration from actual Black Ops and then went ahead to stack this knowledge with a large set of fictional characters. The book that is indeed a page-turner captivatingly opens up with a terrifying story of the kidnap of Warrant Officer Sandra Brux who is captured by Afghanistan Taliban insurgents. The kidnapped captive undergoes gore torture when she is raped, brutally beaten, video taped and held captive for a ransom of $25 million.

The numerous attempts that follow to save Brux are all to no avail. It is therefore up to Master Chief Gil Shannon to lead the SEAL Team Six and Delta force fighters on a tough mission to save Brux from the dangerous hands of the kidnappers. Master Chief Gil Shannon’s moves are not that easy. He has to convince or defy the confused and shaken president. He goes for the latter and boldly defies the president. The book elaborately captures the friction between soldiers and political leaders during times of warfare while at the same time, it gives crystal-clear references to the National Security Agency and its role in times of war.

The inhumane torture portrayed in the book and film adaptation require an adult audience that will stomach everything without feeling affected. This however vividly depicts what happens during warfare. The book indeed hits the target.

2. Eyes on Target

A book that clearly depicts corruption and its evils, Scott McEwen writes about corrupt Washington leaders, dictators and how the vice has even pilfered all the way to the Spec Ops Community. Scott writes a lot about the Benghazi story with insider information. The book ends with so many anti-climaxes where the best are not the ones who win; a newbie works so hard but is finally kicked out when you expected that he would be rewarded, a war veteran is left overseas by the army simply because he is not in agreement with his captain. The book is a true account of the evil and corrupt activities that happen in the SEALS.

3. The sniper and the wolf<
Gil Shannon, an American Sniper is on a mission to curb a terrorist who aims to destroy Europe. However, as he is on this risky mission to get this Russian military sniper, Gil Shannon turns from being the hunter to being the hunted and has to save his skin. This happens when his mission is known to a top US government official who happens to be a traitor. To save himself, Shannon has to ironically befriend another Russian. However, they are later to learn that the mission to do away with him is just but a tip of a worldwide terrorist plot to destroy US economy. He therefore need to carefully strategize and be ready to fight alongside his team if they are to do away with these terrorists.

Family ties

Scott McEwen is a married man. His father happened to have been a pilot during the World war 1.

Other pastimes

A lover of military history and mind-boggling patriotic acts; these passions must have enticed Scott McEwen to record the life and times of Chris Kyle, the most lethal sniper in the US military history once he befriended him. Scott’s love for fishing, hunting and hiking must have also pushed him to start writing thrillers since all these pastimes thrill ones body.

Rather than announce an upcoming book, we're paying tribute to our most popular author of the year from a survey we did. That author is Louise Penny, who writes the Inspector Gamache books. Trust me when I say this - this is a tremendous serious about a Chief Inspector in Quebec. Buy it for yourself, buy it as a gift - but get the first book in the series, Still Life and see why it's our most popular book series. Read more about it.

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Our character of the month is Inspector Armand Gamache. We know people are looking for gifts for others this time of year - so make it easy. Get someone hooked on our most popular series! Seriously I don't mean to beat a dead horse but try this series out!

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Our author of the month is the Canadian author Louise Penny We’re paying tribute to Louise this month. Her Gamache series is simply incredible and each book just gets better. If you haven’t read it yet – start now!

Did You Know…

David Baldacci received a degree in B.A in political science from Virginia Commonwealth University and also a degree in Law from the University of Virginia. For nine years, he practiced law, first as a trial and then as a corporate attorney in Washington, D.C.